Fruit-jar lifter.



B. V. HERMAN.

FRUIT .IAR LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.2. 1915.

1,198,223. PatentedSept. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- B. V. HERMAN.

FRUIT JAR LIFTER! APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2', 1915.

1,198,223. Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

BELLE V. HERMAN, OF CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-JAR LIFTER.

Application filed October 2, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BELLE V. HERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Centralia, in the county of Lewis and State of lVashington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Jar Lifters;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to admit of the convenienthandling of fruit jars, when placed in boiling water, so that the jarcan be withdrawn from the water without danger of the operators handsbeing scalded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jar lifter, for carryingout the above object, and which will be of simple construction, durable,efficient in operation, and can be cheaply manufactured.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodimentof my invention of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of the lifter, showing the same applied toa jar, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with the lifter removed from thejar, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 isa fragmentary detail view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is aperspective view of one of the slides employed for forcing the jaws ofthe lifter into clamping position, and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail viewof one of the clamping aws.

3 Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates a fruit ar, ofordinary construction, and the letter B designates as an entirety, thejar lifter.

The jar lifter includes a companion pair of clamping j aws 1 and 2,identical in construction, and each of which is formed of a single pieceof wire bent substantially into U-shape, and each has the point ofjuncture, between the bight portion and the sides of the U-shaped jaw,bent inwardly, as at 3, and has its bight portion bent and curvedoutwardly from the inwardly bent portion 3, as is shown at 1. Theoutwardly curved portion 4 of the jaws 1 and 2, engage overSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 53,784.

the upper portion of the jar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are adaptedto be clamped tightly against the jar, when it is desired to lift thejar. The upper ends of the sides of the U-shaped jaws 1 and 2, terminatein alined eyes 55. The jaws 1 and 2 are carried by a rectangular shapedframe 6, said frame being formed of a single length of wire looped atthe corners of the frame to provide looped eyes 7, the opposite end ofthe wire forming the lower side of the frame, and are designated by thenumeral 9, and extend through the alined eyes 5 in the terminals in thesides of the U- shaped clamping jaws 1 and 2, and terminate ininterfitting hooks 10.

Associated with the frame 6, is an inverted substantially U-shapedoperating member 11. The sides of the operating member 11 extend throughthe eyes 7 on the adjacent sides of the frame 6, and the lower ends ofthe sides of the operating member carry slides 12. These slides 12 areformed of a rod having its opposite ends bent to provide the loops 13and 14, which receive the adjacent sides of the jaws 1 and 2.

The operating member 11 is adapted to have vertical sliding movement inthe eyes 7, and when the operating member is moved downwardly, the bightportion at the upper end thereof will lie in close proximity to theupper end bar of the frame 6, and provides, with the said upper end barof the frame 6, a hand grip, whereby the lifter can be convenientlyhandled.

By virtue of the looped portions 13 and 14, the clamping bars 1 and 2are held in downwardly diverging relation, and when the slides 12 aremoved downwardly, by the operating member 11, the outer sides of theloops 13 and it will engage the outer surfaces of the adjacent sides ofthe jaws 1 and 2 and force the jaws into clamping position. When it isdesired to release the lifter from the jar, the operating member 11 ispulled upwardly causing the outer sides of the loops to be disengagedfrom the adjacent sides of the jaws, and to cause the inner sides of theloops to engage the inner surfaces of the adjacent sides of the jaws, sothat during the upward travel of the slides 12, the jaws will be movedaway from each other, so as to release the jar. By virtue of thepeculiar construction of clamping jaws 1 and 2 and the slides 12, the

said jaws 1 and 2 can be adjusted to accommodate a pint, quart, or anyother size jar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:-

A jar lifter comprising a vertically disposed rectangular shaped frame,eyes located at the corners of the frame and projecting beyond the sidesthereof, a pair of U-shaped clamping jaws pivotally mounted on the lowerend bar of the frame and arranged in upwardly converging relation, an

.inverted U-shaped operating member slidposed ends extending beyond thesides of the ope sting member and terminally bent to provide loops, thesaid loops receiving the adjacent opposed sides of the jaws and adaptedwhen the operating member is moved downwardly to have their outer sidesengaged against the jaws and move the aws to clamping position and whenthe operat ing member is moved upwardly to have the inner sides of theloops engage the adjacent sides of the jaws and move the aws tounclamping position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BELLE V. HERMAN. itnesses N. BERMAN, Many A. JAMES.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

